The world had fundamentally shifted for Zhang Wei. Not only had he witnessed Lin Xuan effortlessly shatter a metal pipe like glass, but the subsequent, instant bankruptcy and public humiliation of Director Chen Hai—his corporate patron—had broken Zhang Wei's worldview. The official news spoke of "unforeseen geological sinkholes" and "unethical leveraging practices," but Zhang Wei knew the truth: the soft-spoken, unremarkable student had pointed an invisible, terrifying finger, and a titan had crumbled.
Zhang Wei's arrogance had been replaced by a raw, cold fear.
He spent two days in a panic, checking his own small, ill-gotten financial holdings, terrified that Lin Xuan would remember the initial $1,400 insult and decide to cleanse him next. The only solution, he reasoned, was absolute, undeniable subservience—a tribute worthy of a hidden Emperor.
He liquidated nearly all his assets, keeping only enough to maintain his facade of wealth. The entire sum—a staggering $350,000—was converted into untraceable offshore cryptocurrency and a small, heavy gold bar, which he wrapped meticulously.
Finding Lin Xuan was surprisingly difficult. Lin Xuan had stopped attending school, and his apartment address was a secret only known by the meticulous Li Mo. Through desperate pleading and veiled threats, Zhang Wei managed to corner Li Mo outside the school gates one afternoon.
"Tell me where he is," Zhang Wei demanded, his voice shaking with urgency rather than malice. "It's about a matter of absolute importance. It's… an apology."
Li Mo, who had started the Minor Body Tempering Art and now moved with a new, quiet self-possession, looked at him with cool disdain. "Lin Xuan is busy. He doesn't take appointments from thugs."
"It's not an appointment!" Zhang Wei insisted, pulling out the small, heavy gold bar. "It's a tribute! This is for him! Tell him I am loyal! Tell him I understand who truly governs the city now!"
Seeing the genuine, terror-driven sincerity in his eyes, and remembering Lin Xuan's pragmatic approach to resources, Li Mo relented, giving him a vague time window to appear at the apartment.
Zhang Wei arrived at the apartment complex that evening, sweating profusely despite the cool autumn air. He carried a secure, encrypted drive containing the cryptocurrency and the small gold bar. He knocked tentatively on the door.
Lin Xuan opened it. He looked different—his posture was flawless, his eyes held a serene, unnerving depth, and he seemed to possess a vibrant, subtle energy that made Zhang Wei instinctively want to look away.
"Zhang Wei," Lin Xuan acknowledged, his voice deeper and clearer than before—a side effect of his Qi Condensation Stage Two cultivation. "You are expected."
Zhang Wei pushed past him, dropped the bag on the floor, and immediately sank to his knees. The action was involuntary, driven by the faint, unseen pressure of Lin Xuan's newly stabilized aura.
"Please, Master Lin! Forgive my past insolence!" Zhang Wei stammered, his head bowed low. "I saw what happened to Director Chen. I understand your true status. This city belongs to you, and I am merely a dog willing to serve at your command!"
He presented the drive and the gold. "This is a small tribute—$350,000 in assets. It is yours. My loyalty is absolute. I will do anything, anything, you require."
Lin Xuan stood over the kneeling, trembling boy. He didn't need the money; the Wealth Talisman was already generating passive income, and the sum was negligible compared to the cost of a cosmic artifact. However, the true value wasn't the gold—it was the fear and desperation that catalyzed Zhang Wei's sudden, genuine loyalty.
Lin Xuan activated his Immortal Gaze, focusing it on Zhang Wei. He saw the weak, fluttering Gray Qi of Moral Compromise still clinging to the boy, but beneath it, the Yellow Qi of Obedience and Service was now dominant, overwhelming the gray. Zhang Wei was a perfectly pliable, useful tool.
"Rise, Zhang Wei," Lin Xuan commanded. The boy scrambled to his feet, unable to meet his eyes.
"The assets are accepted as a retainer," Lin Xuan stated, picking up the gold bar and tossing it idly in his hand. "Your loyalty is noted, but it must be proven with competence, not just coin."
Lin Xuan walked to his desk and pulled out a small, obscure list he had synthesized from ancient records. It contained modern names for materials that were, in reality, crucial spiritual resources.
"You have access to the city's hidden networks, black markets, and illicit corporate resource chains," Lin Xuan continued. "I need data on specific industrial components, rare earth minerals, and geological excavation sites. Items the mortal world considers 'junk' or 'unprofitable.'"
He handed Zhang Wei the list. It contained entries like: High-Purity Silicon Carbide Wafers (discarded, pre-90s generation), Grade A-40 Ferro-Tantalum Residue, and Sub-Level Drilling Reports for the Old Downtown Riverbed.
"I need comprehensive, confidential reports on the location and ownership of these items. No questions, no excuses. Your compensation will be my continued silence, and, perhaps, a hint of my future prosperity."
Zhang Wei stared at the list. It was highly technical, obscure industrial data—a perfect task for his connections in the murky world of corporate espionage. He immediately understood: Lin Xuan was building something that required materials far beyond the scope of a high school student.
"Understood, Master Lin," Zhang Wei said, stuffing the list into his pocket with renewed purpose. The fear was still there, but now it was channeled into a manic, desperate energy to please his new sovereign. "I will have the first report by tomorrow night. Anything else?"
"One thing," Lin Xuan said, his gaze chillingly direct. "Do not speak of me to anyone. Do not mention my name, my actions, or my interests. If a single word of my activities reaches the wrong ears, I will not destroy your assets, Zhang Wei. I will erase your existence."
"Never, Master Lin. My lips are sealed," Zhang Wei vowed, backing out of the room.
As Zhang Wei fled the apartment, Lin Xuan closed the door and returned to his Formation. The boy was now a functioning element of his system: a high-level resource scout and data retrieval specialist, perfectly positioned in the mortal shadow economy.
Lin Xuan glanced at Li Mo, who was cautiously emerging from the kitchen, a notebook in her hand.
"Li Mo," Lin Xuan said, retrieving the secure industrial schematics from the first haul. "Zhang Wei handles the mundane. You must handle the truly complex. We are now upgrading our primary resource target."